TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State University junior Al Thornton has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 6 First-Team. Thornton, who has developed into one of the nation’s top players, enters Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech averaging a career-high 16.5 points and a career-high 6.8 rebounds per game. He is joined on the All-District Team by Guillermo Diaz and Robert Hite of Miami, Jermareo Davidson of Alabama and Taureen Green of Florida. Thornton is one of eight ACC players who earned All-District First Team honors. He his joined by J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams of Duke (District 5), Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina (District 5), Sean Singletary of Virginia (District 5) and Justin Gray of Wake Forest (District 5).

Just the beginning of the awards season, this is the first honor of its kind for Thornton who has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week twice this season. The last Seminole to earn All-District First Team honors was 2004 All-American Tim Pickett.

Thornton has helped lead the Seminoles to a 17-7 record overall record and a 7-6 mark in the ACC. Florida State enters Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech with 17 victories this season – five more than they earned during the 2004-05 season (12-19) and only two less than they earned during the 2003-04 season (19-14) when they advanced to the second round of the NIT. The Seminoles also enter their game against the Hokies with seven ACC victories – the most they have had since winning 12 conference games during the 1992-93 season and only the third time since joining the ACC for the 1991-92 season that they have won more than six conference games in a single season.

The Seminoles have won four of their last five overall games and travel to play at Virginia Tech Saturday at 7:00 p.m. The Seminoles and Hokies are meeting for the second time this season after Florida State took a 74-68 victory over Virginia Tech in Tallahassee (Jan. 7). Florida State enters Saturday’s game with 17 victories this season – five more than they earned during the 2004-05 season (12-19) and only two less than they earned during the 2003-04 season (19-14) when they advanced to the second round of the NIT. The Seminoles also enter their game against the Hokies with seven ACC victories – the most they have had since winning 12 conference games during the 1992-93 season and only the third time since joining the ACC for the 1991-92 season that they have won more than six conference games in a single season. The Seminoles are 2-4 in ACC road games this season with victories at Virginia (Jan. 11, 87-82 overtime) and at Wake Forest (Jan. 24, 75-68).